Canadians turn to crime, food banks

Pressure on Canadians shows through recent statistics

Food banks and retail crime saw more Canadians than ever before in 2022 photo unsplash.com

Canadians resorted to desperate measures in 2022 when food banks and retail crime saw all-time highs, according to industry executives.

Retail theft in Halifax increased 120 per cent year over year, NSLC media relations manager Beverly Ware told CTV News .

Ware said groceries were a prime target of theft in 2022.

Walmart Canada echoed the trend. Corporate affairs manager Felicia Fefer said crime such as theft at the retailer has hit historical levels across Canada.

At the same time, the number of Canadians using food banks struck an all-time high in 2022, CityNews reported in October. A 15 per cent increase since last year, or 35 per cent increase since before the pandemic.

Canadians are also adjusting spending behaviours. True North News reported 38 per cent of shoppers in a Poshmark report planned to buy a second-hand gift this Christmas.

The problem stretches down to the States, Walmart's CEO said. CEO Doug McMillion told CNBC's "Squawk Box" that theft is also at an all-time high in America.